Fire Destroys Historic Seminary in Ilchester

Jennifer Gunter, Washington
Viaduct, Dec 97-Jan 98

A fire of unknown origin completely destroyed the five-story historic St. Mary's College seminary on Halloween night. The building, which once housed hundreds of seminarians, has been abandoned since the 1970s.

Because of the building's historical significance, we are reprinting a "Letter to the Editor," published in The Sun on November 16, with the permission of Peter Herman of The Sun:

I am writing to share some of the fascinating information I uncovered in researching St. Mary's College for an undergraduate history project at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I am now a graduate student in the history department at the University of Maryland, College Park.

As mentioned in The Sun, George Ellicott sold the 110-acre plot of land in 1866 to the Redemptorists. The cornerstone was laid on September 12, 1867. For 130 years, the immense and austere St. Mary's college overlooked the Patapsco River and Bonnie Branch Road.

A popular destination for teenagers seeking mystery, many pilgrimages were made to St. Mary's College, also referred to as "Hell House" by wistful youths looking for ghosts.

The pilgrimage was made at night, driving deep into the hills of Patapsco Park along winding and steep Thistle Road. The tall trees and stone bridge create a rustic, extremely old feeling. Upon reaching the college, strict "No Trespassing" signs fueled imaginations, and, according to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, much trespassing.

I can only hope that the mystery surrounding the building did not encourage arson on Halloween weekend.

St. Mary's College was a remnant of a rich and impressive religious group. It was historically significant in the context of Catholicism in Maryland and in the settlement patterns of the late 19th century.

Staff writer Tanya Jones states that the current owner is unknown.

The current owner is S.K. Singh, owner of BCS Limited Partnership, which purchased the building on December 30, 1986. Attempts to contact S.K. Singh throughout my research were unsuccessful.

Fortunately for those interested, significant artifacts were removed from the College and placed in the rectory at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish and school.

Included among the links to the past are the Last Supper scene and a Mayer stained-glass window.

Although the building is no longer standing, many records and artifacts survive to tell the tale of the Redemptorists here in Howard County.

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